Mechanism for transversely severing webs of knit fabrics.



No. 753,812. PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

1:". e. SHELAIN. MECHANISM FOR TRANSVERSELY SEVERING WEBS 0F KNITFABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0.,753,812-. PATENTED MAR. 1', 1904.

F. G. SHELAIN. MECHANISM FOR TRANSVERSELY' SEVERING WEBS O'F KNITFABRICS.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

NO MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m: News pzrzn co., momuwdjmsumnwu. n. c.

PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

- 'SHELAIN. MECHANISM FOR TRANSVBRSELY SBVERING WEBS 0F KNIT FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

no MODEL.-

5 SHBBTS.SHBET 3.

No. 753,812. PATENTED MAR. 1, 1-904.

F. G. SHELAINL MECHANISM FOR TRAN'SVERSELY SEVERING WEBS OF'KNITFABRICS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS co, Pumaumo WASHINGTON, o. c.

'PATENTED MAR. l, 1904.

- FL G. SHELAIN. MECHANISM FOR TRANSVERSELY SEVERING WEBS OP KNITFABRICS.

' LIOAT N No. "75mm.

UNITED STATES Patented. March 1, i904.

PATENT OEErcE.

I FRANK G. SHELAIN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKR. BROWN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR TRANSVERSELY SEVERING WEBS OF KNIT FABRICS.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,812, dated March1,- 1904.

Application filed August 26, 1903.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I,'FRANK G. SHELAIN, a

I citizen of the United States of America, residwebs have formed on theoutside thereof transverse annular welts. The distances apart of thesewelts determine the lengths of the seg' ments-tops or bandsto be cuttherefrom and the severing mechanism is controlled by the welts on theweb passing therethrough, the web being severed shortly after animpingement of each welt against the free end portions ofrock-shaft-actuating arms therein. The Welts serve as a finish for theouter ends of the tops or bands and will not ravel.

The object of this invention is to improve the mechanism shown anddescribed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 714,825, issued tomyself and FrankR. Brown, of Rockford, Illinois, December 2, 1902, formechanism for transversely severing webs of knit fabrics; and itconsists of certain new and useful features of construction andcombinations of parts especially devised to that end, all as hereinafterfully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a machine embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same with parts omitted andother parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lower portionsof the machine, the upper portions thereof, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2,being removed. Fig. 4 is a full-sized bottom plan View of the cuttingmechanism of the machine shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a viewof mechanism for operating the vibrating Serial No. 170,884. (No model.)

blade of the machine as seen when looking in Fig. 5 is an end view of acombined ratchet and cam wheel shown in side elevation in Fig. 5. Figs.6 and 7 are faceyiews of parts shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is arsection atthe line 8 8 in Fig. 6 of the parts there shown. Figs. 9 and 10 aredetailed views showing parts of the mechanism. Fig. 11 is a segmentsevered fromthe web X by the knives of the mechanism.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout theseveral views.

' A is the base of the machine, which has a vertical openingtherethrough at A and is provided with legs. (Not shown.)

B is the frame that supports the cutting mechanism of the machine and isrigidly secured to the base A.

B B are vertical standards fast to the frame B and having bearings B B"therein.

B represents lugs integral with and projecting vertically from the topof the frame B.

O is a shaft mounted .in the bearings B B*.

C is a drivingpulley, mounted fast on the shaft O and having abelt-groove O in the periphery thereof.

O is a pinion fast to the shaft O.

O" O are eccentrics fast to the shaft O.

D is a fluted roller provided at one end with a fast pinion D and at theother end with a fast ratchet-wheel D and mounted in stationary bearingsD on the frame B.

E is a fluted roller mounted in laterally-slidable bearings E in theframe B.

E is a pinion fast to the roller E and meshing with the pinion D of theroller D. g F. represents springs which normally im. pel the laterallyslidable bearings E, Fig. 10, and the roller E, supported thereby,toward its companion roller D. The resultingv adjustability of theroller Einsures both that the webX will always be fed downward therebyand that the welts X thereon will pass between them without injury tothemselves or to the machine.

G is a pawl connected by means of the ec' tersunk into the bottom of therecess H, andan opening H extending from the bottom of the countersunkrecess H transversely outward through such head.

H H are axes projecting transversely in opposite directions from thehead H and having a bearing H extending through and concentric withtheir longitudinal centers.

The head H is supported by the standard and base H H, which arepreferablyintegral therewith.

I is a combined ratchet and cam wheel, the teeth 1 of the ratchet beingformed on the periphery of and the cams I being sunk into and slopingoutward to one end of such wheel, which is mounted in the axis H Aboutonehalf, in width, of severalin this case threeteeth I, Figs. 5 and 5*,of the wheel I are cut away to form slideways I therein for the free endof a pawl, to be described hereinafter, to reciprocate upon idly atpredetermined times.

K, Fig. 3, is a pawl connected by means of the eccentric hoop K with theeccentric (J and having its free end K projecting into engagement withone of the slideways l in the periphery of the wheel I and atpredetermined times engaging with the teeth I thereon and therethroughoperating the same in con unction with another pawl to be nexthereinafter described.

K Figs. 2 and 3, is a pawl jointed by means.

of a transverse fixed pivot K to the pawl K between the ends thereof andparallel thereto and having its free end K adapted to engage with andprojectable into the path of all of the teeth (including the threenarrow ones opposite to the slideways 1 I of the wheel I.

K is a pintle extending transversely through and seated in the pawl Kone end K thereof extending across and being adapted to rest upon thepawl K, thereby rendering such pawl K available as a weight to maintainthe free end K of the pawl K in engagement with the wheel I while suchpawl K is being operatively reciprocated.

L, Figs. 1, 9, and 10, is a pintle mounted loose in and proj ectingoutward through transverse circular bearings in the lugs B on the frameB.

L, Figs. 3 and 9, is a rock-shaft mounted fast on the pintle L.

L Figs. 2 and 9, represents rock-shaft-ac- .of serve as adjustable stopsfsaie tuating arms integral or rigidly connected by their upper endswith the rock-shaft L and connected by their lower end portions by meansof a transverse bar L The form of the arms L may be varied and the bar Lmay be omitted therefrom, if desired, or a single wider arm may beemployed instead of the two described above. In other words, the form ornumber of elements composing such device are entirely immaterial, solong as it will perform its function.

L is a collar fast to the rock-shaft L.

L is a pawl-regulating arm seated in the collar L on the rock-shaft Land projecting transversely therefrom under and into engagement with thepintle K of the pawl 1C.

L is a weight-arm seated in the rock-shaft L and projecting transverselytherefrom in the opposite direction from that in which thepawl-regulating arm L projects. 7

L isa weight slidably mounted for adjust ment on the arm L.

Obviously a weight might be attached directly to the rock-shaft L or tothe arms L or to their connecting-bar L but in either event a heavierweight than is here shown would be required and a clumsier constructionwould consequently result. A weight acting through the rock-shaft L andpawl-regulating-arm L sufiicient to normally lift and hold the point Kof the pawl K out of engagement with the teeth I of the wheel I is whatand all that is required.

N, Figs. 3 and9, is a stop-motion bar having its ends N N bent at rightangles thereto and mounted thereby on the pintle L, mounted in thebearings B, so as to freely oscillate thereon and provided withtransversely-socketed studs N N, into the former of which a straight armN is secured by means of a set' screw N, and into the latter whereof abent arm N projecting under the pawl G, is se: cured by means of aset-screw N".

0, Fig. 4, is a knife rigidly secured tothe under side of the base B bymeans of a clamp O, pivoted at' O in the lugs 0 and a setscrew 0 forlocking such clamp against the knife.

0 represents setscrews,,the heads 0 wherefor the back of the knife 0.

P is a jaw hinge-jointed, by means of the pivot P, to the base B andhaving a socket P in the free end thereof to admita shank P,

terminating at its outer end in a ball one member of a ball-and-socketjoint, to be described hereinafter.

P is a knife rigidly secured to the upper tending through thelongitudinal centers of the axes H" H Q is a gear fast to the shaft Qand having circular chambers Q Figs. 1 and 5, sunk therethrough and intothe hub Q thereof and parallel with such shaft Q.

Q is an eccentric mounted, by means of a transverse hole Q therein,loose on the axis H and having a recess Q sunk transversely thereintoand an opening Q extending from the bottom of the recess Q transverselyoutward through such eccentric.

Q represents spiral springs seated in the chambers Q in the hub Q andgear Q.

Q is a collar fixed upon the axis H by means of a set-screw Q to retainthe ratchet and cam wheel I thereon.

Q is a collar fixed upon the shaft Q by means of a set-screw Q andcooperating with the gear Q to retain the shaft Q in its bearing H R isa pin inserted into and freely slidable in each of the chambers Q in thegear and hub Q Q.

R is a footed pin inserted through and freely slidable in the opening Qin the eccentric Q, the foot portion R thereof being housed and slidablein the recess Q in such eccentric Q R is a cam-footed pin insertedthrough and freely slidable in the opening H in the head H, the cam footportion R thereof being housed and slidable in the recess H in the headH.

S is a pitman connected, by means of the eccentric hoop S, with theeccentric Q and by means of the socket S with the ball P and formingtherewith a ball-and-socket joint.

5 is a Babbitt ring for reducing friction between the inner surface ofthe eccentric hoop S and its eccentric Q.

. T, Figs. 1 and 2, is an oscillating frame hinge-jointed to'bearings Tby means of a pivot T. I

-T is a. shaft journaled in the oscillating frame T and having mountedfast thereon a pinion T and a driving-pulley T having a belt gro'ove inthe periphery thereof like that in the pulley G.

T is a shaft journaled in stationary bearings T in the oscillating frameT and having a gear T mounted fast thereon and meshing with the pinion Ton the shaft T T, Fig. 2, isv a shaft journaled in sliding bearings T inthe oscillating frame T.

T and T are fluted rollers mounted fast on the shafts T T, the latterroller being normally forced through its bearings T and by means ofsprings T toward its companion roller T U is an arm rigidly connected atone end with the free end of the oscillating frame T by means of ahorizontal open socket U, fast thereto, and a set-screw U At the freeend of the arm U is a hook U from which depends a hooked rod U, to thelower end whereof weights U are attached.

V and V are belts which connect the driving-pulleys C T with a commonmain drivbelt V slackens sufficiently not to turn the pulley T the gearT and rollers T T The knitting-machine,however, will continue to knit,and the portion of the web X between the latter and the rollers T T willcontinue to lengthen, while the weights U cause the free end of theoscillating frame T to descend until the driving-belt V again engagesand drives the pulley T and the rollers T T. The slow upward anddownward oscillations of the frame T just described continue during theoperation of the machine and serve to thoroughly stretch the web Xbefore it passes to the lower rollers D E. The rollers D E constantlyrotate, except when for any reason the knitting-machine fails to furnishweb X thereto fast enough or while the knives O P are severing a segmentY from such web. Upon the happening of the first of thesecontingencies-failure of the knitting-machine to furnish web to thesevering mechanism fast enoughthat portion of the web between the upperand lower pair of fluted rollers will be drawn taut by the passage ofthe web between the-rollers D E more rapidly than between the rollers TT and such tightening of the web will cause it to impinge against thestop-motion bar N and swing it over toward the upright W, and thus liftthe free end of the arm N, which will in turn lift the pawl Gr out ofengagement with the ratchet-wheel D and thereby stop the rollers D Euntil sufficient web has passed between the rollers T T to release thestop-motion bar N, and thus permit the pawl G to descend into engagementwith and again drive the rollers D E. The mechanisms mode of operationduring the severing of the segment Y from the web X will be fullydescribed hereinafter. The free end K of the pawl K is idly slid backand forth by its eccentric C in one of the slideways I in the peripheryof the ratchet and cam wheel I until the lower welt X of the web Ximpinges against the free ends of the rock-shaft-actuating arms L andswings them away from the roller E, and thereby rocks the shaft L in thedirection indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 3 until the free end of thepawl-regulating arm L descends out of intermediate engagement with thepawl K whereupon the latter will drop downward into engagement with oneof the teeth I on the ratchet and cam wheel I. One or two strokes of thepawl K will turn the wheel I forward far enough to cause the free end Kof the pawl K to be left by its slideway I and engage one of theadjacent teeth I thereof. As soon as the welt X of the web X descendsbelow and out of engagement with the arms L the weighted arm L actingthrough the rock-shaft L, pawl -regulating arm L and pintle K, will liftthe free end K of the pawl K out of engagement with the teeth of thewheel I; but the pawl K will continue to rotate such wheel I a distancemeasured by, say, five teeth I, during which rotation one of the sunkencams I in the end of the wheel I will reach and register with theopening H in the head H. The first of the pins R in theconstantly-rotating gear Q, that reaches and registers with the footedpin R, will be forced by a spring Q over into engagement with theeccentric Q, and the footed pin R and cam-footed pin R will also beforced by the action of such spring Q into the positions shown in Fig.5, the free end of the pin portion of the cam-footed pin It being thenin engagement with the innermost recess of the cam I in the wheel I.Obviously as soon as the constantly-rotating gear Q is connected withthe eccentric Q by the pin R such eccentric Q* will be rotated andacting through its pitman S will close the swinging jaw P, and therebycause the knives O P to sever a segmentYfrom the web. The eccentric Qmakes a single rotation at each operation of severing a segment Y fromthe web X, during which rotation of the eccentric the pawl K willcontinue to rotate the wheel I a distance measured by, say, three teethof such wheel I. The cam I will by this time have forced the camfootedpin R into the head H, the cam-foot R will have forced the footed pin Rinto the eccentric Q", and the pin B into the gear Q against the actionof the spring Q, thereby leaving the parts I, H, Q, and Q entirelydisconnected from each other. As the jaw P closed it engaged the arm Non the stop-motion bar N and therethrough and through the arm N thereonlifted the pawl G out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel D of theroller D, thereby causing the rollers D E to remain motionless duringthe operation of severing each segment Y from the web X. The solefunction of the foot R is to increase the engaging area of the end ofthe pin portion R thereof adjacent to the pin R. WVhile the eccentric Qis making a rotation the footed pin R will occupy the position shown inFig. 5, the free end of the pin portion thereof projecting over againstthe bottom of the annular recess H in the head H. Immediately after thecam 1 in the wheel I has driven the cam-footed pin B into the head H therotation of the eccentric Q will carry the free end of the pin portionof such pin R along the face of the cam R, which will force the footedpin R into the eccentric Q and the pin E into the recess Q in the gearQ, as already stated.

The parts L to L inclusive, taken together constitute a bell-crank(lettered L in Figs. 3 and 9) and considered collectively are sodenominated for brevity and convenience in the claims hereof.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In mechanism for transversely severing knit fabrics, in combination,a pair of rollers mounted parallel to each other, one in sta-' tionaryand the other in laterally-slidable bearings, springs normally impellingthe slidable bearings and their roller toward its counterpart roller,means for driving such rollers, a mounted ratchet-wheel, a driving-pawladapted to engage with and be disengaged from the ratchet-wheel, apivotally-m ounted bell-crank, having a long arm projecting intoengagement with the pawl and short arms projecting transversely aroundand under one of the rollers and so weighted as to normally hold thepawl out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel and to maintain the freeends of its short arms in the path of the transverse welts on a web ofknit fabric passing between the rollers, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. In mechanism for transversely severing knit fabrics, in combination,a pair of fluted rollers mounted parallel to each other, one instationary and the other in laterally-slidable bearings, springsnormally'impelling the slidable bearings and their roller toward itscounterpart roller, means for driving such rollers, a mountedratchet-wheel, a driving-pawl adapted to engage with and be disengagedfrom the ratchet-wheel, a pivotally-mounted bell-crank, having a longarm projecting into engagement with the pawl and short arms projectingtransversely around and under the slidable roller and so Weighted as tonormally hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchetheel and tomaintain the free ends of its short arms in the path of the transversewelts on a web of knit fabric passing between the fluted rollers, thefree end ofthe long arm of such bell-crank being depressible-byimpingement ofthe' transverse welts of the knit fabric against the freeend portions of the short arms thereof-"to such an extent as to permitthe pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

3. The combination, with a base, of a head having an annular recess Hsunk transversely thereinto, a recess H countersunk into the bottom ofthe annular recess, and an opening H extending from the bottom of thecountersunk recess transversely outward through IIO a ratchet and camwheel Ithe teeth of the ratchet being formed on the periphery of, andthe cams being sunk into and sloping outward to one end of, suchwheel-mounted on the axis H a cam-footed pin R inserted through andfreely slidable in the opening H in the head, the cam-foot portion Rthereof being housed and slidable in the countersunk recess H therein,an eccentric Q rotatably mounted on the axis H*, of the head and havinga recess Q sunk transversely thereinto and an opening Q extending fromthe bottom of the recess Q transversely outward through the eccentric, afooted. pin R inserted through and freely slidable in the opening Q inthe eccentric, the foot portion R thereof being housed and slidable inthe recess Q therein, a shaft mounted in the bearing H in the head, agear, fast to the shaft and having chambers Q therein, springs seated inthe chambers Q in the gear, pins R inserted into and freely slidable inthe chambers Q in the gear, a pair of rollers D E mounted parallel toeach other,

one in stationary and the other in laterallyslidable bearings, springsnormally impelling the slidable bearings and theirroller E toward itscounterpart roller D, a driving-pawl K constantly engaging the ratchetand cam wheel I and projecting into the path of the slideways I therein,a driving pawl K mounted on the pawl K between its ends adapted toengage with and be disengaged from the ratchet and cam wheel I, apivotallymounted bell-crank L, having an arm L projecting intoengagement with the pawl K and arms L projecting around and under theroller E and so weighted as to normally hold the pawl K out ofengagament with the ratchet and cam wheel I and to maintain the freeends of its arms L in the path of the transverse welts X, on the web ofknit fabric passing between the rollers D E, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK G. SHELAIN.

Witnesses:

L. L. MORRISON, RICHARD F. LOCKE.

